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Andhra Pradesh Ministers Nara Lokesh (Education, IT & Electronics) and Anita (Home) met Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in New Delhi on Tuesday and briefed him on the extensive agricultural devastation caused by Cyclone Montha.
According to an official press release, the ministers said the cyclone, which struck on October 28 and 29, brought fierce winds, torrential rainfall and flooding that severely affected villages, farmlands and rural livelihoods across the state. According to the state's preliminary assessment, the cyclone impacted 3,109 villages across 443 mandals in 24 districts, leaving nearly 9.53 lakh people facing various levels of disruption. The combination of submerged farmlands, overflowing rivers and high tidal activity led to widespread destruction of agricultural assets, civic infrastructure and public services. Minister Nara Lokesh informed the Union Minister that continuous rainfall and prolonged waterlogging in the coastal and delta regions caused extensive damage to standing crops. Roughly 1.61 lakh hectares of agricultural land--including paddy, maize, cotton, groundnut, red gram and various millets were damaged. An estimated 3.27 lakh farmers have been affected, while overall crop losses are pegged at 4.36 lakh metric tonnes. In addition to crop losses, key agricultural infrastructure, such as tanks, canals, and bund roads, suffered significant damage, disrupting irrigation and access to farmland. The ministers further apprised the Union Minister that the horticulture sector had also borne the brunt of the cyclone. Around 6,250 hectares, over 33% of the horticulture area, under banana, papaya, coconut, turmeric, chillies, vegetables, flowers and other crops were severely damaged. Support structures in plantations collapsed due to the storm's impact, posing long-term livelihood challenges for farmers. Related infrastructure, including nurseries, shade nets, farm ponds, storage units and minor irrigation systems, also sustained severe damage. During the meeting, Minister Lokesh also informed the Union Minister that the state government acted promptly by evacuating vulnerable families, setting up relief camps, deploying SDRF/NDRF teams and conducting rapid loss assessments across departments. These timely interventions, he said, helped avert major loss of life and ensured uninterrupted assistance to the affected population. The ministers requested central support to help the state recover from the extensive agricultural and horticultural losses triggered by Cyclone Montha, according to a release. (ANI)
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